A spare wheel assembly is an extra wheel assembly carried in a vehicle that can function as a replacement for a road wheel that is no longer capable of functioning. The spare wheel assembly may be carried in any of a number of locations on the vehicle, the most typical being in a spare wheel well formed in the trunk of the vehicle. A cover, such as a rigid piece of cardboard, is frequently positioned over the spare wheel well. A trunk carpet is often either placed over the floor of the trunk, thereby concealing the spare wheel assembly cover, or the outer surface of the spare wheel assembly cover is itself covered with a piece of carpet.
It has become more common in more recent years of automobile manufacturing to replace the traditional full-size spare wheel assembly with a space-saving mini-spare wheel assembly. Such tires are compact and, accordingly, take less space than required by full-size spare wheel assemblies. In addition, the mini-spare wheel assembly typically weighs less than a full-size spare wheel assembly. Accordingly, the mini-spare wheel assembly answers both the need for reduced space as well as the need for reduced overall weight.
The rim of the common mini-spare wheel assembly includes small holes typically punched in the rim. The holes are provided for brake heat clearance and to reduce overall weight. In the event that the mini-spare wheel assembly needs to be removed from the spare wheel well, it is necessary for the operator to either seize the mini-spare wheel assembly by the tire treads or by the lug openings or center hub opening formed in the rim. The former operation is difficult to accomplish because of the relative closeness of the outer surface of the tire to the walls of the spare wheel well. The latter operation is difficult to accomplish because the lug openings or center hub opening are not designed to allow for the insertion of the operator's fingers therein.
As in so many areas of vehicle technology there is always room for improvement related to spare wheel assembly designs for use with automotive vehicles.